Monday, July 7, 2008

I've had so much trouble keeping up with blogging lately, so here's a catch-up from the last two 'This is...' themes.

Last week's theme, as chosen by Betty Jo from Lino Forest was My Best Op Shop Find. And basically I was paralysed by the choices, as I've found so many great things over the years. In the end, I chose my favourite most recent find, which is this little embroidered tablecloth (sorry, I really should have ironed it, but hey, I think I may have confessed here once or twice already that I'm lazy like that!).

I just love the little Scotty dogs around the edge, and the little matching napkin (shown in the middle of the cloth). It's in perfect condition - looks to have never been used!

And this week's theme, as chosen by Danielle from Teacups on Treatops is My Most Treasured Childhood Possession.

Again I have lots of things from teddies, to plastic jewellery, to poems written in Grade 2.

But the thing I love most is this tin. Looks pretty unexciting really doesn't it! But it used to belong to my Grandma, and it was always filled to the brim with buttons. I would spend hours at her place playing with this tin, or rather with the buttons within. I would sort them by colour, then by size, then by pattern, or even by interestingness. I even loved the feel and the sounds of them.....are you starting to get the picture of where my button addiction may have originated? Anyway, this button tin became mine a long time ago, and before I discovered sewing, it just sat in my special meatsafe cupboard (another treasure that once belonged to Grandma and Grandad - it is a rickety old thing with a stained-glass window in the top cupboard door, with wire mesh at the sides. Grandma used to keep her potatoes in it. But I digress...).

Anyway, once I discovered sewing, I realised I could actually start using the buttons I had loved so much for so long. And then I realised that I actually had an excuse to start a button collection of my own, adding to Grandma's stash.

And of course my button collection fast outgrew this old tin, and is now sorted (by colour) in glass jars by my sewing area. But this tin still has pride of place. It now contains pieces of elastic, because I like to think it would still prefer to be useful. And I never tire of looking at it. If I am stuck for inspiration, this tin always takes me back to a childhood filled with colour, texture, and imaginative wonder.

28 comments:

Buttons in themselves take us back to times gone by I think. My partners Mum gave me a large portion of her old buttons collection, and now my partner identifies which childhood outfits they came from, or were sewn into.

what a wonderful treasure and the memories that come with the tin are very special too! Ahhh, the simple pleasures of buttons - I love them too.The scotty doggie tablecloth is a great find...will you turn it into something or keep as is?

I have a friend who is a mad collector of Scotty dog things. She would go wild for that tablecloth! It is very sweet! A lovely story about how your button addiction was inspired by that sweet tin from your Grandma. And I Love old meatsafe cupboards. Yours sounds like a very cool one!

& Hey I was expecting yummy pics of baked goodies as a follow-up from your previous post. I guess you ate them all. Piggy ;)

What a lovely post, such evocative descriptions. The special tin is beautiful, and I just love your current collection of buttons! Isn't it crazy how much fun you can have as a kid by simply organizing something?!

You've got to love those old tins full of buttons. In my case it's my late mother's button tin that my children used to play with when they were little. It's an old ice cream tin (yes, back in the '50s ice cream used to come in tins) which I still have and cherish. Once the youngest grandchild gets past the stage of eating buttons, I'll get it out for them to play with. So they'll be playing with their great-grandmother's buttons! After seeing your fantastic jars full of colour co-ordinated buttons, I am now on a new quest.

What is it with Grandmothers and buttons, I remember doing a similar thing when i was young either sitting at her feet when she was sewing playing with her buttons or the scrap of materials that fell my way... Great story!

My Gran was one of the people who introduced me to a lifelong love of handmade goodness. I love your tin. Old tins are beautiful. Your button collection must light up your room. It's so lovely in that photo.

I heart your buttons. They are so pretty and look at you so organized. I wish, mine are in jars everywhere...I even have my baby sister now addicted to buttons so we swap when we find some good ones. Cheers Kyla